The story by Jamaica Kincaid is one list of what a girl should and should not do. The recommendations presented relate to everyday life, housekeeping, behavior in society, communication with men, and other aspects. Probably the story conveys a long dialogue between the girl and her mother or another relative who gives instructions. Sometimes the girl interrupts the conversation to note that she is already fulfilling all the expectations that are assigned to her.
It is noteworthy that the advice presented in the story is more likely to create the appearance of correct behavior than to form it. For example, one of the recommendations emphasizes “Try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid). This tendency appears once more in the text, and the story also contains advice on how “to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child” (Kincaid). Additionally, the story gives advice on how to bully a man or tolerate bullying on his part; how to leave a man or come to terms with your position. These recommendations are not intended to make a girl’s life happier, but to explain what is expected of her in society.
This story describes what kind of social framework existed for African American women of that period. They had to behave in a certain way to fit into society and not dishonor the family. Probably these conditions are transmitted from mother to mother and have nothing to do with the personality of each of them. These tips ignore the happiness of young girls and are the key to survival in the difficult conditions of gender and racial discrimination.
Reference
Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” The New Yorker, 1978.